Laundry flat piece spreader and carrier



Aug. l, 1933. R SAGER 1,920,715

LAUNDRY FLAT PIECE SPREADER AND CARRIER Filed March 25, 1931 ssheets-sheet 2 Aug. 1, 1933. R. SAGER LAUNDRY FLAT PIECE SPREADER ANDCARRIER Filed March 23, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 25 broken lines, otherparts being Patented Aug. 1, 1933 `LAUNDRY FLAT PIECE SPREADER ANDCARRIER i Lee R. Sager, Minneapolis, Minn.assignor of one-V third toAntone Wayne Julian and one-'third to `Merton A. Pocock, Minneapolis,Minn.

Application March 23, 1931. Serial No. 524,587

17 Claims. (Cl. 271 79)` My present invention has for `its object thepro,- vision of a simple and highlyV eicient laundry fiat piece spreaderand carrier. v

By the use of this invention flat pieces,-such as bed sheets, bedspreads, table cloths and the like, as they come hunched, rolled orfolded from a wringer are successively fed by hand to a carrier whichautomatically grasps the pieces and draws said pieces over a spreading`or 0 smoothing device and then automatically releases and stacks-thesaine upon a rack which,

when loaded, is moved to a flat piece ironer where the spread pieces aresuccessively fed thereto.

To the above end, generally stated, Athe invention consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined inthe claims. v

In the accompanying drawings, which'rillustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a right-side elevation'of the laundry flat piece carrier andspreader, some parts being diagrammatically illustrated by means,` of

shown indifferent positions by means of broken lines, and furtherdiagrainmatically illustrating, by means of dotted lines, a rackpositioned to `receive at pieces from the carrier;

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. l, with a portionof the frame broken away and the rack removed;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary detail views -with some parts sectionedon the lines 4 4, 5 5 `and 6 6 of Figs. 1 and 2, on an enlarged scale; 1Y

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary detail view of one of the belts, on an enlargedscale; and

Fig.'8 is a fragmentary detail view, withrsome parts sectioned on theline 8 8 of Fig. 7, on an enlarged scale.

The frame of the device is a rectangular skeleton structure comprising apair of `front legs A9, a pair of rear legs 10, longitudinal top siderails l11 which rigidly connect saidv pairs of VYlegs, upper vand lowercross-tie rails 12 which connect the legs 9 of the front pair, upper andlower cross-tie bars 13 which connect the legs 10 of the rear pair, andintermediate'cross-tie rails l14 which connect the top side rails 11near the rear end of the frame. l

5 The flat piece carrier, which is mounted on the frame, includes a pairof Vhorizontal' -edgewise spaced endless belts 15, arranged to run overfront andrear pairs of wheels 16 and 17, respectively, and are closelypositioned to the sides of the frame just below the cross-tie rails 13and 14.v Saidfront wheels 16, which are idle, 80

Vare loosely journaled on a pairof axially spaced stub shaftsY 418rigidly secured to depending brackets 19 on front end extensions 20ofthe .top

`221.` The purpose of .mounting-'thewheels 16 on 7() Laxially spacedstub shafts is tov leave'an unob- 'structed'work space therebetween. Thevrear wheels` 17 are rigidly secured `to a transverse shaft 23 journaledin depending brackets V24 on the side rails 11 close to the crosstierail `13, 75 see Fig. 4. Y

Y The shaft 23 vis driven fromian electric motor.

indicated `as an entirety `by the numeralr 25,

through a speed .reduction drive, indicated as an entirety by thenumeral 26, with' the exception of 30 a pulley 2'7 aligned with a pulley28 keyed to the shaft 23 and over which pulleysruns 'av belt 29. Saidmotor 25 and speed reductionldrive 26lare lmounted on a common baseVcarried by the cross-tie rails 13and 14'. The power line forlthe 35motor 25 is indicated bythe numeral `31 land the control switch 32 forsaidmotor is mounted in Athefront end of the right-handrail 111',

The wheels 17 lhave at their transversey centers vinternal sprockets 33the peripheries Vof the teeth 9o of which are flush with 'theperipheries o1' said wheels.A Cooperating with 'these sprocketwheels 33are longitudinally spaced driving lugs 34 on the inner faces of thebelts '15. Circumferentially extended grooves 35 in the vidle wheel 16afford 95 clearance for the `driving lugs '34 during the travelrofthebelts lrover said wheels.

A Secured to the outer face offea'ch belt 15 is a plurality oflongitudinally spaced finger-like clips Sti-which extend longitudinallyof said'beIt. Each `1.00 I

and buckle the same -at klongitudinallyspaced "1510 A points, asindicated at 37. Said clips 36, at their transversely spaced pairs andtheir free ends,

during the travel'of the belts 15 under Ythe wheels 16 and 1'7, projectrearward toward the front of the device. The tension on the belts 15,produced by the spacing of the wheels 16 and 17, tends to straighten thebuckles 37 in said belts and this force on the attached offset ends ofthe clips 36 produces a lever-like action which swings the free ends ofsaid clips toward the belts 15 during the travel of said belts betweenthe pairs of wheels 16 and 17.

During the travel of the belts 15 over the front pair of wheels 16andclips 36 are opened outward from saidwheels or, in other words, thebelts 15 are drawn inward from the clips 36. To attach a fiat piece X tothe carrier, one edge portion thereof is inserted between the belts 15and a pair of the clips 36, as they are opened inpassing around'thewheels 16, and thus held until said clips pass from under the wheels 16and are closed by the tension on the belts 15. As the clips 36 areclosed the respective marginal edge portion of the fiat piece X ispinched and securely held between the belts 15 and the offset portions38 of the clips 36, see left-hand end portion of Fig. 4.

Cooperating with the flat piece carrier is a spreading device comprisinga main spreader bar 39 and an auxiliary spreader bar 40, `each of whichis, as shown, formed from a single round rod. Thespreader bars 39 and 40are shaped, intermediate of ltheir ends, to form bows with their crownsmidway between the two belts 15; The spreader bar`39 is closelypositioned to the outer faces of the front legs 9 and its bowvextendsfrom the center of one of said legs to the center of the other thereofand its end portions are in upright positions and the outer ends thereofanchored to said posts.

. The spreader bar 40 is of substantially the same shape as a horseshoeand closely positioned tov the inner faces of the front legs 9 andanchored at its ends to the lower cross-tie bar 12, see Fig. 2.

The greatest transverse width of the spreader bar 40 is substantiallythe same as the lengthof the bow of the spreader bar 39. By reference toFig. 2 it will be noted that the spreader bar 39 is formed on a muchflatter curve than the spreader bar 40 and that the crown of thespreader bar 39 is below the plane of the lower runs of the belts 15while the crown of the spreader bar 40 is above said plane Vand projectsupward between said belts.

During the movement ofthe piece X by the belts 15 it is rst lifted froma basket or other receptacle, in which flat pieces are carried from awringer to the spreading device, and then drawn first over the spreaderbar 39 and thereafter over the spreader bar 40. As the piece X is drawnupward over the spreader bar 39 the attendant assists in roughlyspreading the same thereon in case said piece is twisted. The spreaderbar 39, which is held substantially rigid by its engagement with thelegs 9, roughly spreads the piece X and directs the same under the belts15. v

From the spreader bar 39 the piece X is drawn over the spreader bar 40and, due to its peculiar mounting, will yield in the direction of thedrawing movement of said piece thereover and under its strain to returnto normal position will place the piece longitudinally under tension andhold the same smooth. As the piece Xpasses beyond the legs-9 the sideportions thereof, due to their weight, will drop down and over the sidesof the spreader bar 40 and thereby stretch the piece X transversely fromthe crown of the spreader bar 39 in reverse directions and smooth thesame. The increased sharpness of the curveV of the spreader bar 40 overthat of the spreader bar 39 materially assists in causing the sideportions of the piece X to slide downward thereon under the Yweightthereof.

` The tensioned spreader bar 40 will hold the piece X longitudinaly tautuntil the rear edge portion thereof passes from said spreader bar and atwhich time said tensioned bar will return to normal position. After thespread piece X passes from the spreader bar 40 the pair of clips 36holding the same pass under the wheels 17 and the contact of therespective buckles 37 therewith and the movement of the belts 15 aroundsaid wheels will open the clips 36 and release the piece X. Said pieceX, as the same is released by the spreader bar 40 and clips 36, dropsYonto a portable rack placed thereunder and diagrammatically illustratedby broken lines and indicated by the numeral 41. This rack 41 is thesubject matter of a copending application executed of even date herewithand entitled Flat piece laundry rack.

The length of the belts 15 is such as to draw bed sheets and other largeflat pieces completely over the spreader bar 40 before the clips 36 opento release the same.

After a stack of flat pieces has accumulated on the rack 41, as they aresuccessively spread thereon by the carrier and spreading device, saidrack is wheeled to a flat piece ironer where the pieces are successivelyfed thereto.

From the above description, it is evident that the pairs of clips 36 aresuccessively and automatically opened at the front end of the device toreceive a flat piece fed thereto and then closed to draw the piecetherewith over the spreading de- 'vice and thereafter automaticallyreleased as the clips 36 are opened by passing around the wheels What Iclaim is:

1. A device of the class describedhcomprising a flexible carrier, and alever-acting member secured to the carrier and holding the same buckled,whereby when the carrier is placed under tension tending to straightenthe buckle therein it will press said member toward the carrier.

. 2. The structure dened in claim 1 which further includes means forintermittently drawing the carrier away from the lever-acting member.

3. A device of the class described comprising a flexible carrier, and alever-acting member secured intermediate of its ends to the carrier, onearm of said member being offset toward the carrier and holds the samebuckled, whereby when the carrier is placed under tension tending tostraighten the buckle therein it will press the other arm of `saidmember toward the carrier.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 in which the other arm of thelever-acting member is offset toward the carrier for direct contacttherewith to hold the main body of said arm out of contact with thecarrier.

' 5. A device ofthe class described comprising a belt, and a nger-likeclip secured at one end to the belt for cooperation therewith to hold apiece of work, said clip being offset at its attachment with the belt tohold theV belt buckled,

whereby when the belt is placed under tension tending to straighten thebuckle therein it will press the clip toward the belt.

6. The structure dened in claim 5 in which the clip at its free end isoffset for direct contact with the belt to hold the body of the clip outof contact with the belt.

7. A device of the class described comprising two aligned longitudinallyspaced wheels, a belt arranged to run over the wheels, and a fingerlikeclip secured at one end to the belt for cooperation therewith to hold apie'ce of work, said clip being offset at its attachment with the belt lto hold the belt inwardly buckled, whereby the tension on the belt, whenthe buckle in the belt is between the wheels, will tend to straightensaid buckle and press the clip toward the belt and when the buckle inthe belt is in contact with the periphery of either of the wheels thebelt will be drawn away from the clip.

8. A device of the class described comprising two aligned longitudinallyspaced wheels, a belt arranged to run over the wheels, and amultiplicity of longitudinally spaced finger-like clips secured at oneof their ends to the belt for cooperation therewith to hold a piece ofwork, said clips being offset at their attachment with the belt to holdthe belt inwardly buckled at lon gitudinally spaced points, whereby thetension on the belt, when the buckles in the belt are between thewheels, will tend to straighten said buckles and press the clips towardthe belt and when the buckles in the belt are in contact with theperipheries of the wheels the belt will be drawn away from the clips.

9. A device of the class described comprising a front pair of axiallyspaced wheels and a rear pair of wheels aligned with said front wheelsand longitudinally spaced therefrom, a pair of belts arranged to runover said wheels, means for driving one pair of said wheels, a pair oftransversely aligned clips attached to the belts for cooperationtherewith to hold a flat piece or' work, said clips being offset to holdthe belts inwardly buckled, whereby the tension on the belts, when thebuckles in the belts are between the wheels, will tend to straightensaid buckles and press clips toward the belts and when the buckles inthe belts are in contact with the peripheries of the wheels the beltswill be drawn away from the clips.

10. In a device vof the class described, a transverse spreader bar forsupporting a flat piece thereon, said spreader bar being curvedtransversely of the device, and a carrier for drawing a flat piece overthe spreader bar to spread the same.

ofthe other for supporting a flat piece thereon. v

Yand a carrier for drawing a iiat piece over the spreader bars to spreadthe same, said auxiliary spreader being arranged to yield in thedirection of the movement'of the piece thereover.

12. In a device of the class described, flat piece main and auxiliaryspreader bars set one in advance of the other for supporting a vflatpiece thereon, and a carrier for drawing a flat piece over the spreaderbars to spread the same, said spreader bars being crowned transverselyof the deviceV with the crown of the auxiliary spreader bar above thecrown of the main spreader bar.

13. The structure defined in claim 11 in which the spreader bars arecrowned and in which the crown of the auxiliary spreader bar is abovethat of the main spreader bar.

14. The structure defined in claim 11 in which the spreader bars arecrowned, in which the crown ofthe auxiliary spreader bar is above thatof the mainspreader bar, and in which the auxiliary spreader bar isarranged to yield in the direction of the movement of the flat piece'thereover.

l5. In a device of the class described, a carrier comprising aV pair oftransversely spaced endless belts having means for holding a iiat pieceat one edge, a crowned main spreader bar and a crowned auxiliaryspreader bar at the receiving end of the carrier and positioned betweenthe belts thereof with the latter'in `advance of the former, the crownof the main spreader being below the plane of the lower runs of 'thebelts and the crown of the auxiliary spreader bar being above saidplane.

16. In a device of the class described, a driven wheel, an idle wheel, abelt, said wheels and belt being arranged for the belt to run over thewheels, said driven wheel having an internal sprocket and said idlewheel having an annular peripheral groove, the periphery of the drivenwheel on each side of the sprocket being smooth, said belt having on itsinner face longitudinally spaced driving lugs arranged to be engaged bysaid sprocket to drive the belt and move loosely through the groove inthe idle sprocket, and a nger-like clip on the outer face of the beltfor holding a piece of work against said belt.

17. The structure defmed in claim 12 in which the crown of one of thespreaders is materially flatter than the crown` of ythe other of saidspreaders.

. LEE R. SAGER.

